Neglected allotment turned into a community garden

There was great excitement in Corkagh Park on Monday, May 11 following the grand opening of the Cherrywood Committee’s new allotment.

The idea was sparked back in October 2025, when a group of neighbours in Cherrywood decided to take on the challenge of turning a neglected allotment into a large community garden.

Andrei Pop, Chairperson of the seven-person Committee, detailed the efforts that were put in by the group to get the allotment plans rolling.

“In order for us to take care of the allotment on behalf of SDCC, we need to form a committee.”

“We got some funding approved by SDCC, and with those fundings we got the paints, we got the seeds, we built our own flower beds from the fundings. As it looks today, our goal was reached.”

The allotment itself is big enough to fit two large polytunnels and three tons of soil, which is home to a huge array of fruits and vegetables “four or five different types of potatoes, three types of strawberries, we have onions, tomatoes, rhubarb, raspberries.

‘We have apple and pear trees. We even have grapes.” Mr. Pop said.

Transition year students from Coláiste Bríde paid a visit to the allotments on Monday where they learned about all-things gardening and got a chance to sow seeds themselves.

Committee members also spent some time teaching those from St John of Gods all about the fruits and vegetables that are planted around the garden.

Members from South Dublin County Council were also in attendance for the big day, including Deputy Lord Mayor Trevor Gilligan.

Andrei referred to the mix of cultures that make up the committee and how everyone’s love for gardening and community spirit brought them together.

“All the committee members are neighbours, and so this allotment gives us the opportunity to go out do something outside the work and home routines.

‘There is a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and nationalities.

‘I’m Romanian, my wife is Polish the treasurer is Lithuanian and three other members are Irish.”

He emphasised how all the hard work that has been put in by the committee since last October is strictly volunteer-based, and that the motivation came from the love of their area and their neighbours.

“We invested everything that was funded, and we put the hard work in. The main goal overall is to have the community space for everyone to use.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme